


Apology

by WickedlyEmma



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Pre Faust, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28305081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedlyEmma/pseuds/WickedlyEmma
Summary: Christine has a breakdown and even Carlotta's cold heart cracks.
Relationships: Christine Daaé/Carlotta Giudicelli
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	Apology

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ponderinfrustration](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponderinfrustration/gifts).



> This is for my POTO 2020 Secret Santa giftee! I hope you like it <3
> 
> If you like my writing & wanna talk to me, I'm on tumblr @wickedlyemma

It’s not that Carlotta hates the girl, really. Before all of this, before the notes and the torment and the insults, she was mostly indifferent to Christine’s existence. They are simply of different stations, at different points in their respective careers. Carlotta is bold enough to admit she sees some of herself in the girl; separated solely by time. But this… this child trying to take her place grates on her. Carlotta knows in her heart of hearts that the girl has some talent. Any fool can see that. But she lacks the experience that Carlotta has been building for decades.

Carlotta Giudicelli will not bow.

Carlotta sits in her dressing room, applying the last finishing touches to her stage makeup. She savors the quiet stillness before the performance. It’s rare she can scrounge up more than a few moments of silence, so she takes what she can.

There’s a knock at the door and Carlotta smudges her blush. Her forehead creases.

“Unless you are in charge of my salary, go away!”

The door clicks open.

“Firmin, I am in the middle of—” Carlotta stops.

Christine cowers in Carlotta’s doorway, already dressed in her costume for Faust. Carlotta looks her up and down and turns resolutelyback to the dressing room mirror. She can still see Christine’s nervous expression out of the corner of her eye.

“What on Earth are you doing here?” She snaps. “Come to beg for mercy?”

“I came here to apologize.”

Christine’s voice is steadier than Carlotta expected out of such a nervous wretch. She laughs, high and shrill.

“How unexpected. I thought you weren’t the one behind these…” Carlotta’s lips curl in distaste, “Impolite letters.”

Christine shifts. “I’m not,” the girl says, “I still wanted to say I’m sorry for bringing you into this. I did not intend to offend you. I didn’t mean…”

She trails off, eyes distant. Carlotta becomes uneasy. She’s struck with the impossible thought that maybe Christine is not the one behind all of the disasters and threats. She brushes aside the thought just as easily.

“Well,” Carlotta snipes, “We all must face consequences one time or another.” She makes a movement as if to shoo her out, but Christine refuses to leave. A brief flash of irritation burns under her skin. She’s half a second away from yelling when her eye catch on the girl’s waxy skin and dark under eyes. Carlotta has seen her fair share of women who look like Christine in this moment. And usually, Carlotta realizes, it’s the last time she sees them.

“Are you—” Carlotta shifts, uncomfortable with the idea of feeling sympathy for a girl she so previously disliked, “Christine, are you quite alright?”

To Carlotta’s horror, Christine bursts into tears.

“Oh God,” Carlotta blusters, “Please don’t—- Ah…” Christine buries her tear-streaked face in her hands and Carlotta is struck with the uncomfortable obligation to comfort her. She inches towards her and takes her into her embrace, arms stiff around her shoulders.

“There, there,” Carlotta says, hiding her grimace in Christine’s voluminous hair, “It’s alright.”

Christine says nothing, just violent sobs wracking her body. Carlotta’s never been a particularly kind person (or mothering, despite the desires of those who wish to tame her), but she does her best to comfort the poor girl. After a while, Christine seems to calm down. Her body still trembles violently in Carlotta’s grasp. She waits for her to speak.

“I’ve just been so scared. I thought…” She trails off and her face screws into a painful expression, “I didn’t know it would turn into this.”

To be frank, Carlotta has no idea what the girl is talking about. But she knows fear when she sees it, and what Christine is feeling isn’t fear. It’s terror.

“Christine,” Carlotta says and hesitates. It’s none of her business. “Is the Vicompte hurting you?”

To her surprise, Christine breaks into breathless laughter. “No, never.” She wipes the tears from her eyes, “Raoul has been nothing but kind to me.”

“Then who?”

Christine bites her lip and Carlotta can tell she’s not going to get anything out of her. She sighs and feels some of her previous ire melt away.

“You can…” Carlotta grimaces once again, “You can always come to be, if you need help. You’re not alone.” Carlotta feels something crawling down her spine, but then Christine’s eyes fill back up with tears as she throws herself at her.

She really is nothing but a child, Carlotta muses. The semblance of guilt tugs at the back of her mind. “Thank you,” Christine whispers in her ear and Carlotta only response is to hug her tighter.

Even when Christine eventually straightens, Carlotta doesn’t let go.

“That was rather embarrassing,” Christine murmurs. Carlotta cracks a smile.

“If you do that at an audition you’d have a better chance in plays than the opera.”

Christine, to Carlotta’s disbelief, laughs.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Carlotta finally releases her and hesitates. “You’re welcome to finish getting ready here. My dressing room is large enough.”

‘You don’t seem like you should be left alone’, is what Carlotta doesn’t say.

Christine smiles and accepts. Carlotta feels by the end of it she starts to cheer up. By the time Christine’s makeup is done and they’re backstage, she even feels somewhat bad for playing a part in Christine’s delegation to role of a mere choir member during Faust’s performance.

But then, of course, Christine vanishes.

She doesn’t come back the same. Carlotta feels shame run down her spine.


End file.
